Kuwait City, March 23 (Reuters): Kuwait Airways said it would suspend flights to Tehran, the US and Europe because of the conflict in the Gulf, the official Kuwait News Agency reported late last night.

light of the events in the Gulf and its negative effect on commercial air travel, the corporation has taken the decision to stop operating some of its stations,” said Adel Borlossi, head of public relations and media at Kuwait Airways. On Thursday, the company had said it was suspending flights to Beirut, Damascus and Amman from Sunday because of unspecified changes to air space allocated to commercial carriers.

Spy charges

Manila (Reuters): The Philippines is investigating an Iraqi diplomat for possible espionage, after Washington urged countries to expel envoys from Baghdad and shut their embassies, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said on Sunday. But Arroyo said the Philippines was not cutting diplomatic ties with Iraq and Manila will deal with those suspected of spying on an individual basis. Philippine security forces are on high alert for retaliatory attacks.

Stray missiles

Tehran (Reuters): Iran on Sunday said US and Iraqi rockets had fallen inside its territory since the outbreak of war in Iraq. But the Islamic Republic, which had adopted a policy of “active neutrality” over the conflict, appeared willing to accept that the missiles had gone astray and were not deliberately aimed at Iran. Interior ministry spokesman Jahanbakhsh Khanjani said several missiles, which had fallen in southwestern Iran “were American which had gone off course”.

Pope prays

Vatican City (Reuters): Pope John Paul II who has emerged as one of the most powerful anti-war voices, prayed on Sunday for victims of the war and their families. Speaking to tens of thousands of people in St Peter’s Square, the Pope asked the Madonna to help bring about peace. “We implore you to help the victims in these hours of war and their relatives who are suffering,” the frail 82-year-old Pontiff said.

Fuel rationed

Kathmandu (Reuters): Traffic in Nepal halved and vehicles lined up at petrol stations on Sunday after the nation began rationing gasoline to conserve stocks as US-led forces continued their devastating assault on Iraq. The Nepali government on Saturday announced daily gasoline quotas for vehicles and ordered vehicles with registration numbers ending in even digits to ply on even dates and those ending in odd digits on odd dates to save fuel.

Japan aid

Tokyo (Reuters): Japan said on Sunday it would give $100 million in aid to Jordan to help it cope with the effects of the war in Iraq. The foreign ministry said it made the decision because Jordan was expected to suffer a “great deal of economic impact”. The government has thrown its support behind the war but has said it did not plan to help fund it.

In contrast to the $11 billion it gave for the 1991 Gulf war effort. Tokyo has said it would take part in the reconstruction of Iraq after the conflict ended. The ministry also said Tokyo would provide an additional $4.2 million in food aid to Palestinians through the United Nations.